This is the reason women often fart during pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting time for mothers-to-be. You will experience various changes that you will have to deal with starting from the first trimester of pregnancy, or since you were declared pregnant. Some of these changes may make you uncomfortable, even embarrassing and uncomfortable. One of them is that you often fart during pregnancy. So, why did this happen?

The cause of women often fart during pregnancy

Frequent farting during pregnancy is a common problem. Usually pregnant women fart aka pass gas about 18 times a day. This is because the average pregnant woman can produce up to 4 liters of gas every day. Then, why do pregnant women produce more gas during pregnancy?

It turns out that one of the main contributing factors is the increase in the level of the hormone progesterone. The hormone progesterone causes muscles throughout your body, including your intestinal muscles, to become weak. The muscles in the intestine are relaxed causing the digestive process to be blocked

As a result, there was a buildup of gas. Well, this is what causes pregnant women to fart more, burp, and feel bloated in the stomach. Not only that, weak body muscles also cause pregnant women to find it difficult to hold in fart. So, don't be surprised if pregnant women often fart in front of other people.

Another reason women often fart during pregnancy can also occur due to the influence of the enlarged uterus (womb), which puts pressure on the abdominal cavity. This pressure can slow down the digestive process, which in turn triggers gas buildup.

How can you avoid frequent farts during pregnancy?

Even though it is fairly common, there are several ways you can do so that when you are pregnant you don't often fart in public, namely:

1. Avoid foods that contain gas

Some foods do exist that stimulate the digestive tract to release wind. This is because the food contains gas, so the body will excrete it through farting. Some foods that can stimulate you to fart frequently include:

High-gas vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and raw vegetables.
Fruits that contain sorbitol include durian, jackfruit, apples, pears, and peaches. Apart from fruit, sorbitol can also be found in candy and chewing gum.
Foods that are high in starch, namely whole grains.

2. Chew food slowly

Chewing your food slowly until it is completely pulverized is one of the best ways to reduce farting. Farts can be caused because the bacteria in the large intestine that work to break down food are not completely digested by enzymes in the stomach.

3. Other ways

In addition to the two methods mentioned above, the American Pregnancy Association also recommends several other ways so that you don't fart frequently during pregnancy, namely:

Avoid carbonated drinks
Drink straight from the glass without using a straw
Eat little but often
Increase light physical activity such as walking or yoga to prevent constipation and help stimulate digestion
Limit artificial sweeteners
Drink plenty of water to help prevent constipation during pregnancy

Important to note

Often farting during pregnancy is normal. Do not let because you want to avoid certain foods that can trigger fart, so you lack the intake of important nutrients. Although there are some foods that need to be limited, the most important thing is to make sure you get adequate nutrition during pregnancy by eating a variety of foods in a balanced manner.

If you suspect there are other causes that make you fart frequently, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.